by Porter, Jack
Nothing to do but try.
I stepped one foot into the current and was whisked away again. I rode the long, spindly path as if I were in a lazy river.
I figured if I timed it right, I’d be back to my body in no time.
But the next place I stepped out was decidedly not anywhere near my body, but that didn’t much matter, because I’d stopped at a place I liked far better.
Home.
The familiar cabin held the glow of firelight. Apparently one of the girls had installed a fireplace of sorts while we were away. I was willing to bet it was Hannah. She was good with things like that.
I walked over to the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of Piper, or maybe one of the goddesses. A smile formed on my lips when I found that Piper was indeed sitting by the fire in a chair. Well, it was more like a large sack, a beanbag sort of thing, maybe filled with grasses and hen feathers to soften the pressure on her hips.
I could just hear the sound of her humming as she wore away tiny strands of a fibrous plant. Next to her lay one small, completed baby boot woven from the same plant. She was already making clothes for the baby, despite having only the smallest rounding of her tummy.
I always knew she would make a great mother. Any of the women would, but Piper was by far the most maternal, always looking for someone to care for when sick.
On her other side on a makeshift table was an abundance of plants and herbs. Beside that, a roughly shaped pestle and mortar.
Is she making a poultice for someone? Is someone injured?
A curious meow caused me to look down at my feet. Salem was sitting beside me, pawing the air at my leg and looking for all the world like he could see me.
Huh. Is this what cats are always jumping at? I shuddered at the thought.
Another sound, the powerful thrum of wings, let me know Hannah was nearby. I turned and saw the goddess herself ready herself to land. Below her, Layla also approached the cabin. The fox goddess’s skin was glowing bright gold, which let me believe she was probably using her special ability.
Strange, but I could still see her in my astral form.
I approached them both at a slow glide, wondering if the spirit realm and the goddess powers were somehow connected. I wondered, too, if my body would reap the benefits of them using their power so far away.
When I get back to my body, I’ll have to check, I thought.
Hannah folded her wings and dropped to the ground. I saw the accident before it even happened.
My hand shot out as I yelled, “Wait, you’re going to hit—”
But it was no use. They couldn’t hear me and, as predicted, they collided.
Immediately tensions rose as Layla shimmered and lost the golden glow.
“Watch where you’re going,” she growled, pinning her ears flat against her head. She lowered her voice to a murmur as she added, “clumsy-ass hawk.”
It was obvious that she’d still intended for Hannah to hear her, and my eyes widened. The blatant malice in my second in command’s voice was strange to my ears.
A cold glare shadowed Hannah’s sharp features. “You’re invisible, remember? You should be the one moving out of my way.”
Animalistic noises exploded from them both as the pair broke apart, each of them retreating to face one another head-on. It reminded me of a time when I watched two possums size each other up, ready to fight for their territory.
It didn’t end well for either of those possums, and I saw this little spat going no better. Both girls could do some serious damage before they called it quits.
Layla moved first. She crouched on all fours, like she was about to lunge at Hannah. The hawk goddess flapped her enormous wings and lifted off the ground slightly, not to fly away to safety as I hoped, but instead readying herself to savage her opponent with her feet.
I had no doubt that if she had talons, serious damage would be done to Layla’s face.
Without thinking, I lunged for Layla, choosing her for no reason other than that she was closer. In that moment, I didn’t remember I wasn’t in my body. My only goal was to keep them from hurting one another.
I passed completely through my former co-pilot.
There was no sound as I landed on the soft grass on the opposite side of her. I pounded my fists in frustration before turning to face them again.
Layla gave a slight shiver, the bitter anger in her eyes replaced with a quiet confusion she tried not to let Hannah see. The angle of her ears lifted the smallest amount.
Did she feel my presence when I passed through her body?
An idea crossed my mind. I had no clue if it would work, but sitting back and letting this fight happen wasn’t an option. In the blink of an eye, I was in front of Layla again. Her glare for Hannah was back, and I could almost feel the way her muscles tensed as she readied herself to make the first move.
Focusing on how it felt to spindle back into my own body, I reached out to touch Layla’s forehead. It was more of a caress, as if I could catch the stray strand of brown hair that dangled down in front of her face and tuck it behind her ear.
It worked. My astral body became consumed by Layla’s physical one.
It felt different, as if I was trying to fit myself in a box a couple sizes too small. Maybe that was because both Layla and I were residing in one vessel.
But it worked.
Dexter?
A trace of her thoughts brushed against mine. But I didn’t have time to wonder at that. I was being threatened.
That hawk was going to kill me if I didn’t kill her first.
My jaw clenched and I shook Layla’s head, trying to free myself of the thought. This was bad, I thought. I hadn’t known how strong the animal instinct was.
If I didn’t stop this now, they would likely kill each other.
Twelve
There was no time for explanations or apologies for invading Layla’s body. Instead, I opened Layla’s mouth, which felt weird because her canines were slightly pointed and longer than those of a full human.
“Hannah. Stop. I’m not going to fight you,” I barked. My voice sounded like Layla’s, but it also held notes of my own voice.
How odd.
Hannah seemed to think so too because she missed a beat with her flapping and her toes skimmed the ground before she lifted again.
“Lying mischievous fox,” she snapped, and I swore for a moment she had a beak. “Your posture tells me the truth.”
“That’s fair,” I said, nodding and unfurling Layla’s body from the crouch to stand. I put her arms out in a way I hoped would seem less threatening. “Now please, let’s just talk this out.”
Hannah tilted her head, eyes narrowing. “What’s wrong with you? I sense something is off. And you haven’t talked to me this politely since before Dexter left.”
They’ve been at odds this whole time? Fuck.
“Cards on the table. I’m Dexter, not Layla.”
The winged goddess barely missed a beat. “That makes sense,” she said, shrugging nonchalantly.
“Really?” I asked, unable to help myself. “Just like that?”
A smile quirked at her lips and a spark of human warmth returned. “Just like that. You’re acting a lot more like Dexter right now than Layla. Your speech has a certain familiar quality that makes me want to jump Layla’s bones.”
I grinned. “While I’d love to be here for that, we need to address this animal instinct thing that’s been happening.”
A guilty expression flitted over her face. “We don’t mean to. It’s just nature,” Hannah said miserably. “Most of me likes Layla, but this goddess side of me…” she trailed off.
She didn’t have to say the words. I knew exactly what kind of war was raging within. “Is there some way you guys can talk it out?”
“We tried.” This came from Layla, who moved her own mouth, and let me tell you, someone moving a body part in your stead was probably the strangest experience I’d had since coming to this island. “It
didn’t work.”
Clearing Layla’s throat, I regained control. “What if you two try solving things the animal way? Create a territory. Mark it as your own however your animal side tells you to. Hannah, you can take one half of the cabin, and everything west of it. Layla, you take the other half and everything to the east. Do not cross the other’s territories,” I said, making Layla’s voice firmer than usual.
I thought about it some more. “You can both patrol north and south of the cabin, to monitor things, but if either of you is feeling threatened by the other, you retreat to your territories until things simmer down. Understand?”
Both girls nodded, Layla taking the reins from me again. This time I relinquished it almost fully, keeping just enough control to continue to speak. Being someone else was exhausting. No wonder Zavier wasn’t at his full strength when we fought in the spirit realm.
“Are you guys the one Piper is making that poultice for?” I asked, remembering the dark brown goop.
“No,” Layla’s thoughts brushed against mine like a cat against her owner’s leg. “She’s been in her garden for the last three days though. We think it’s for the baby.”
Hmm.
I wanted to ask another question about the poultice, but my mind seemed to grow heavy within Layla’s body. I wanted to curl up and sleep. My mind fogged over and as I let Layla regain more and more control, I felt myself slipping away.
No!
It was a new voice, shouting at me. It felt like I was being forced out of Layla by a familiar presence.
My astral body popped out of Layla’s physical one like a cork from a wine bottle. I regained my strength almost immediately and sighed in relief.
But that relief that was cut short. It couldn’t compete with Yua’s furious astral self, leaning over me.
“What in the fuck are you doing?” she demanded, placing one astral hand on each hip.
My eyebrows rose. Yua didn’t cuss, ever.
Yeah, she’s pissed, I thought.
“Looking for you?” A guilty smile played across my mouth. Without another word, Yua grabbed my astral form by the ear and began yanking me toward one of the yellow pathways.
“Ow, ouch.” Somehow, Yua had the ability to make my astral form feel pain. It didn’t feel like a pinch though, more of a zap. I was sure she was hitting me with her power.
Despite the pain, part of me couldn’t help but laugh at what she was doing.
“This is exactly why I said you weren’t ready,” she growled, increasing the pain around my ear.
But after a moment, Yua sighed and let go, trailing her finger down the side of my neck instead, in a way that would have made my physical body shiver with desire for her. “You’re like a child playing with fire. All fun and games until you burn yourself.”
I admit it. I didn’t like being compared to a child. But instead of responding angrily, I said in a calm tone, “I didn’t mean to do anything wrong. Layla and Hannah were about to kill each other. I think there’s something going on with their goddess-given powers that makes them react like their matching animal selves.”
“Of course. Why do you think the temples of the goddesses were built so far apart from one another? I don’t think they were ever supposed to live in close quarters.” Yua stepped into the yellow current and disappeared.
My heart sank, and I followed her in, regaining my equilibrium before asking, “Does this mean they have to live apart from one another?”
“Hmm,” Yua crossed her arms in thought. “I caught the end of what you did back there. I think you’re on the right track with this one, and as long as each goddess is allowed her own domain, and a set of rules to follow, they should be able to live fairly close to one another.”
“You mean if they each had their own cottage and a piece of land to hunt and protect?”
Yua smiled, flashing brilliant white teeth at me in a way that made my heart skip. “Just as you say, White Guardian.”
In some way I couldn’t figure out, Yua seemed to realize we were about to miss our stop. She grabbed my arm and launched us out of the yellow pathway. We tumbled in the spirit realm near where I’d first entered the current for a moment, and she pulled me in close to her to stop the frantic spiral.
Right near where I had begun.
My breath caught in my throat, and desire flooded through me as I drew her closer into my chest. Her entire body relaxed, as if this was something she’d dreamed about for days or weeks.
And who knew? She might have been doing just that.
I know I had.
My need for her became hot and potent within me, and Yua gasped in pleasure. Could she feel it too?
Yes, she could. I saw the heat flashing in her eyes as she gazed into my own.
“We can’t,” Yua said, but her mouth tilted up, begging me to break all the rules she had set in place for herself.
It was time I found out the reason for those rules. Swallowing my rising desire, I pulled back, holding onto her shoulders as if they were my lifeline in treacherous ocean waters.
“Yua,” I said. “I know you feel whatever this is between us too. It feels like flame and passion. Like a desperate need for your body. I’ve never needed to be with someone like this before,”
Even as I said the words, I pulled her in close again, because it just felt right. “I’ve wanted women, sure. Desired them more times than I can reasonably count. But this—” I ran a hand up her spine and down again and a small moan escaped her. “This is like lacking oxygen in my lungs, or water to cool my thirst. Why is this happening to us? Is it just the island playing games again? Or is it something more?”
Yua’s shoulders sagged. “Dexter. There are a few things I haven’t been completely honest about.”
“Tell me,” I said. “I won’t judge, whatever it is.”
She bit her lip, looking toward the east horizon, as if she could see directly through the layers of the canyon.
“Find us first. We’re camped just on the other side of the mountains, where the land becomes flat again.” Her astral body floated up as she called down, “Find us and I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
Patience, I said to myself. Just have a little patience.
I sighed out loud, the familiar tingle of frustration flickering within me again.
There wasn’t anything I could do about it now. I just needed to cross the lake, get to the other side of the mountains, and find the girls. Then I could finally get some answers.
Feeling a little more chipper, I walked down the canyon until I found my body. I gave myself a tap on the forehead, and for the second time tonight, I experienced the familiar pull of being sucked back into a physical body.
This time though, there was plenty of room.
I settled into myself like snuggling into a warm blanket.
Thirteen
Morning light burst across the sky in a sea of pinks and purples overhead. It had been so dark the night before that I hadn’t noticed the canyon opening up.
The lake still lay frozen nearby, and I wasted no time preparing myself to cross it. For some reason, my head throbbed worse than before. My throat was as dry as the Sahara Desert. And when I tried to take a few steps onto the ice, I felt dizzy.
So much for getting a good night’s rest, I thought.
I fell several times, but it seemed the ice was thick enough to hold a tank. And while it was cold, it didn’t seem to be that cold.
Something about this lake said ‘island magic’ to me. Yet as I studied the ice more carefully, nothing struck me as too out of the ordinary until I reached the very middle.
A glowing white light pierced through the translucent crust of the lake.
“No fucking way,” I murmured to myself. “Is that a crystal?”
I knew that it was. I could feel it.
A few more steps and I was right above it. Crouching low, I swiped at some of the ice crystals, hoping to get a clearer view.
Damn me sideways if
it wasn’t shallow as a grave. “Too easy,” I muttered. “But why would I find a crystal here?”
All of a sudden, I understood. The island had guided me to it.
Perhaps it could have done so a little more directly, or even enabled all of us to find the crystal together. But in the end, all that mattered was that I had found one more crystal.
The question was, who did it belong to?
Megan?
Surely, she’d be sniffing after it like a bloodhound, and tracking it down just as quickly, no matter the danger it might pose to her. The call of a crystal was like the sweet song of a siren in myths of old. You can’t really help but go after it.
So why wasn’t she already here?
Same for Yua.
Did that mean it was more likely to be Piper’s crystal instead?
Man, it was my lucky day. I could just grab it for her and take it back after we were done out here. Maybe I’d have to deal with Piper’s guardian, but that would be nothing I couldn’t handle.
Or would that unknown monster show itself only when Piper touched her crystal?
Either way, I saw no reason to leave the crystal where it was.
Now, how to get you. I glanced around, fully aware there was no pole and tackle box waiting for me within the crumbling canyon walls.
Guess it’s a quick swim then for me, after all.
Unsheathing my sword from behind my back, I made a White Guardian sized manhole around the crystal’s approximate location.
It took a good fifteen minutes to cut through the entire ice layer, another few minutes to use my sword as a leaver to pry the ice top up and out of the water beneath.
It was wet work, and my feet were already soaked by the time I managed to haul the top off. I spared a moment to drink deeply from the frigid water. Then stood and shed my clothing before going back to the edge, with my bare toes hanging over the hole. My headache was finally letting up, but I still felt out of sorts, like I was coming down with a fever.
But I wasn’t. I didn’t think I got fevers anymore, but I still wasn’t at my peak.
